The invention generally relates to a bingo game card and in particular, the invention relates to an electric bingo game card which is adapted for tracking play and indicating a winning combination for regular bingo and variations of the game.
Bingo is a popular game which is played extensively throughout the United States and other countries. The game is played utilizing a game card having an ordered set or matrix of numbered squares in a 5.times.5 array. Typically, the numbers 1-75 are divided into five sets of 15, namely 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, etc. Five of each set of numbers is associated with each vertical column in the matrix. The arrangement of numbers within each of the five groups is random and upwards of 45,000 different combinations or faces of a bingo card are available. During the game, numbers are called and the player marks or covers the squares with chips or some marking device.
The typical play sequence for a session of games may employ two types of game cards--rigid or hard cards and disposable specials. The hard cards may be used a number of times in a session to play regular bingo. A known hard card 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The card 10 has two faces 12 and 14, and accordingly is known in the trade as a 2-on card. The faces have, as noted, an ordered 5.times.5 array of boxes 16 containing printed numbers, as shown, in rows 18 and columns 20. The columns 20 are headed from left to right with the letters B-I-N-G-0. As numbers are called by the game operator, chips 22 are placed by the player over a called number to keep track of the game. In the board illustrated in FIG. 1, some of the numbers are shown covered by a chip 22. In FIG. 1, the third horizontal row 24 shows a winning combination of five covered boxes 16 across. The center box 26 is called a "Free Space" and requires no call to establish a winning combination. The use of chips with a hard card is inconvenient to use because the chips may shift during play, especially if an individual uses more than one bingo card.
Each card 10 has a code associated with it which indicates what face is displayed. For instance, in FIG. 1 the upper faced 12 has the code number 1115 associated with it located in the center free space 26, and the lower faced 14 has the number 1165. These numbers identify which particular combination of numbers from the 45,000 plus available combinations the face represents.
As is well known, there are at least 13 different ways to win at regular bingo including filling or covering the numbers in each of the five horizontal rows, each of the five vertical columns, the two diagonals extending from the upper right hand corner to the lower left and vice versa and the four corners. The winning combination 24 illustrated is simply one the 13 available regular bingo winners.
After a number of regular games have been played, the operator may call for one or more specials. Specials are variations of bingo in which a particular pattern of boxes on the face must be filled before a winner is declared. A typical special is an "X" pattern, requiring that both diagonals be filled before a winner is declared. Another special is the so-called "Round Robin" wherein all of the boxes about the perimeter of the face must be filled. Other variations of the game are available as specials.
Specials may be played on the hard card 10 illustrated in FIG. 1. More likely, however, the operator provides disposable sheets of faces printed on low cost paper on which the player marks the called numbers with a pen or ink marker. Ink markers are convenient but require replacement of the face sheet after each game.
In many locations, disposable faces are used exclusively for regular bingo and specials. This is because no chips are required. As a result, there are typically fewer errors made by the players, there are no chip upsets and the play is faster and thus more exciting.
The disposable faces are usually sold in sheets containing multiple faces. A sheet may have multiple columns, in some cases up to 18-on. A number of sheets may be bound in a pad for an evenings play. Each sheet is usually color-coded and may have, in addition to the face code, some other number, i.e., a serial number associated with the pad which allows the operator to keep track of the faces that have been sold in an evening.
Although the disposable sheets are more convenient for both the players and the operators, the paper cost is significant. It is estimated that, in the United States, 400,000 tons of newsprint is consumed annually in these enterprises. In addition to the cost noted above, there are significant waste disposal problems associated with such consumption. One of the advantages of disposable sheets, however, is that each sheet contains a different series of faces and thus the game is rendered more exciting.
Space constraints limit the number of standard size faces a player can follow. A practical maximum is about 18-on. Players and operators would like to increase the number of faces available for play on a sheet.
In order to alleviate the difficulties associated with hard cards and disposable sheets, various electrical game boards have been proposed which have manually actuable illuminated buttons to assist in the play of the game. Some systems are electrically connected to a master board so that the results may be quickly checked. Typically, however, the electrical games which are available are complicated, expensive, and difficult to use.
The various systems which are currently available do not in all cases eliminate the need for additional paper faces and no known system provides a means for conveniently and automatically playing regular bingo as well as the variations or specials.